Blade comb hair trimmer having tooth structure permitting variable depth of cut



May 18, 1965 z. szABd 3,183,589

BLADE COMB HAIR TRIMMER HAVING TOOTH STRUCTURE PERMITTING VARIABLE DEPTH0F CUT Filed July 12, 1962 INVENTOR ZOLTAN SZABO United States Patent3,183,589 BLADE COMB HAIR TRIMlVIER HAVING TOOTH STRUCTURE PERMITTINGVARIABLE DEPTH 0F CUT Zolta'm Szab, Drosselstrasse 15, Zurich,Switzerland Filed July 12, 1962, Ser. No. 209,377 2 Claims. (Cl. 30-30)This invention relates to a hair cutting apparatus having at least onestationary blade held within a frame, where-by the rframe is dividedinto two plates in the plane of the blade and the blade is locatedbetween the two plates.

According to the invention, such a hair cutter has to be suitable bothfor cutting hair away as well as for Shaving in a simple and handymanner. Without changing the blade, a variation of the type of hair cutdesired at the time as well as of the cutting depth has to be possiblewith sure protection against injuries from cuts.

With the hair cutter according to the invention this problem isessentially solved in that the frame is a double comb, and each plate ofthe double comb comprises two rows of comb teeth, whereby the effectivelength of the comb teeth of one row differs from that of any other row,and the blade between the rows of one comb side is arranged as partiallyfilling the gaps between the teeth of the comb.

Further features of the invention will appear from the followingdescription and claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawing, wherein there is shown, purely by way of example, one preferredform of embodiment.

FIG. 1 is a top view of the hair cutter without blades;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the hair cutter as taken on the line II-IIof FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal section of the hair cutter as taken on the lineIIIIII of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 shows a plate of the hair cutter with blades inserted.

The two plates 5 and 6 of the hair cutter 7 lie against each other withtheir faces 8 and 9 and are pressed against each other by a latch 10adapted to exert a slight wedging action. The latch -10, which isintegral with the plate 5, projects into an aperture 11 in plate 6. Byrelatively displacing the plates 5 and 6 in the direction of theirdividing plane .12, the latch can be moved with slight angulardisplacement over a lug 13 of plate 6. The two blades 14 and 15, whichare simply made like razor blades, are seated respectively with theirholes 18 and 19 on the two pins 16 and 17 of plate 5. As shown in FIG.4, the cutter blades '14 and may be made in two variants. In the case ofblade .14, the longitudinal axis thereof is at the same time theconnecting median line of the two holes 18. The connecting median line20 of the holes 19 on the other hand is a parallel to the longitudinalmedian line 21 of blade 15 and a :few tenths of a millimeter away fromit.

The face 9 of plate 6 is provided with a recess so that the faces 8 and9 lie with only a comparatively narrow contact surface along the wholelength of the blades 14 and 15, so that the two plates 5 and 6 with theinter posed blades rest with great certainty along the entire length ofthe blades even if there is dirt in the hair cutter.

Plate 5 has two rows of comb teeth 23 and 24 at its opposite sides andplate 6 has two rows 25 and 26. The teeth of any row are equal amongthemselves. The teeth of the tour rows, however, are of such length andshape that the effective cutting depth of the razor may be selecteddepending upon the row of teeth that is held against the skin duringcutting. In the illustrated embodiment the teeth 24 are longest, theteeth 23 next in length, and the teeth 25 and 26 the shortest andsubstantially identical in length.

3,183,589 Patented May 18', 19

In the cutting of hair with a device of this nature the cutter isnormally held at an acute angle to the area of the body on which thehair is being trimmed and moved in the direction of the hair growth. Theteeth 24 are curved as indicated and have cam portions 27 at their tips.The cam portions are rounded to avoid scratching the scalp and increasethe eifective length of the teeth when the cutter is held at an acuteangle to the head with the cam portions engaging the skin and with theteeth 26 on the inner side of the angle. Such arrangement results in thelongest cutting depth for ordinary cutting. Of course, if the cutter isheld with the blade at substantially right angles to the scalp theapparatus acts as a comb with sharp teeth and the hair is only pinked.By varying the angle :from the perpendicular to increasing acuity theeftective depth of cut and the cutting action may be varied as desired.

By turning the cutter over so that the trout sides of the teeth 24 areadjacent to the scalp the effective cutting deph is decreased somewhatas the edge of the blade is then spaced a lesser distance from the scalpdue to the curvature of the teeth.

The next shorter cutting depth is obtained with the teeth 23 adjacent tothe skin, and the finest, as in shaving, is obtained by holding thedevice with the teeth 25 resting on the skin.

The range of cutting depths may be further varied; for example, in thedesign of the blade 15 illustrated in FIG. 4 the connecting median line20 of the holes 19 is displaced parallel to the longitudinal median lineso that upon turning the blade outwardly with its cutting edge directedtoward the latch th cutting edge lies nearer the ends of the comb teeth24. Blade 14 could be similarly constructed if desired.

Due to the construction described which permits the selection of cuttingdepths dependent upon the position of the cutter, and the projection ofthe comb teeth beyond the edge ot the blade, the device may be easilyand safely used either to cut ones own hair or by another. The cuttermay initially be held in position for the maximum length of cut, to outthe longest hair and progressively shifted to the position affordingshorter lengths of cut in order to achieve the desired contours,shaping, and finally shaving of the neck.

The plates 5 and 6 may be made of any suitable, inexpensive material,such as one of the known plastics, and the cutter is constructed in suchconfiguration as to be conveniently held and manipulated manually,without the necessity -for an additional handle.

Obviously, the hair cutting apparatus could be designed to hold only asingle blade extending :from one comb row to the other of plates 5 and6.

What I claim is:

1. Hair cutting apparatus comprising "a pair of opposed plates, each ofsaid plates having a row of teeth extending lfl'OIll its opposite sides,opposed teeth of the plates lying in superposed relationship, means onone plate for positioning a blade with the cutting edges thereofextending between the teeth at each of the opposed sides of the plates,means securing the other plate into face-to-face relationship with saidone plate, the teeth of one plate separated from the opposed teeth ofthe other by an edge portion of said blade positioned therebetween, oneof said plates having a row of teeth of substantially greater lengththan the teeth of any other rows, the opposed row of teeth of the otherplate being of a length barely to extend beyond the edge of the blade,said longest row of teeth having an outer portion inclined toward theplane of the blade and having cam means on the tip portion projectingbeyond the plane of said blade, whereby the cutting depth is longestwith said cam means held against the skin and is slightly shorter withthe inclined outer portion held against the skin, the teeth at theopposite side of one of the plates being substantially shorter than saidlongest row of teeth, and the opposed teeth of the other plate barelyextending beyond the edge of the blade, whereby the, apparatus may beheld with the substantially shorter teeth engaging the skin for ashorter cutting depth than that resulting from the previously describedpositions, and whereby with the shortest teeth of such side held againstthe skin, shaving may be accomplished.

2. Hair cutting apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the blade hasat least tWo holes, one of said plates has pins projecting therefrom,said blade being mounted on said pins, the longitudinal median line ofthe blade being parallel to but spaced from the connecting median line V4 r of the holes, whereby the protrusion of the blade between the teethmay be varied depending upon which edge is positioned outwardly. v 7

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS WILLIAM FELDMAN,Primary Examiner. EDWARD v. BENHAM, Examiner,

1. HAIR CUTTING APPARATUS COMPRISING A PAIR OF OPPOSED PLATES, EACH OFSAID PLATES HAVING A ROW OF TEETH EXTENDING FROM ITS OPPOSITE SIDES,OPPOSED TEETH OF THE PLATES LYING IN SUPERPOSED RELATIONSHIP, MEANS ONONE PLATE FOR POSITIONING A BLADE WITH THE CUTTING EDGES THEREOFEXTENDING BETWEEN THE TEETH AT EACH OF THE OPPOSED SIDES OF THE PLATES,MEANS SECURING THE OTHER PLATE INTO FACE-TO-FACE RELATIONSHIP WITH SAIDONE PLATE, THE TEETH OF ONE PLATE SEPARATED FROM THE OPPOSED TEETH OFTHE OTHER BY AN EDGE PORTION OF SAID BLADE POSITIONED THEREBETWEEN, ONEOF SAID PLATES HAVING A ROW OF TEETH OF SUBSTANTIALLY GREATER LENGTHTHAN THE TEETH OF ANY OTHER ROWS, THE OPPOSED ROW OF TEETH OF THE OTHERPLATE BEING OF A LENGTH BARELY TO EXTEND BEYOND THE EDGE OF THE BLADE,SAID LONGEST ROW OF TEETH HAVING AN OUTER PORTION INCLINED TOWARD THEPLANE OF THE BLADE AND HAVING CAM MEANS ON THE TIP PORTION PROJECTINGBEYOND THE PLANE OF SAID BLADE, WHEREBY THE CUTTING DEPTH IS LONGESTWITH SAID CAM MEANS HELD AGAINST THE SKIN AND IS SLIGHTLY SHORTER WITHTHE INCLINED OUTER PORTION HELD AGAINST THE SKIN, THE TEETH AT THEOPPOSITE SIDE OF ONE OF THE PLATES BEING SUBSTANTIALLY SHORTER THAN SAIDLONGEST ROW OF TEETH, AND THE OPPOSED TEETH OF THE OTHER PLATE BARELYEXTENDING BEYOND THE EDGE OF THE PLATE, WHEREBY THE APPARATUS MAY BEHELD WITH THE SUBSTANTIALLY SHORTER TEETH ENGAGING THE SKIN FOR ASHORTER CUTTING DEPTH THAN THAT RESULTING FROM THE PREVIOUSLY DESCRIBEDPOSITIONS, AND WHEREBY WITH THE SHORTEST TEETH OF SUCH SIDE HELD AGAINSTTHE SKIN, SHAVING MAY BE ACCOMPLISHED.